Jake Emen

Jake Emen is a nomadic travel, food and drinks journalist who spends his time on the road in search of the very best things to taste and try hidden across the planet. He has been published in outlets including AFAR, Barron's, Bloomberg, Conde Nast Traveler, Departures, Eater, Fodor's, Food & Wine, GQ, Imbibe, Maxim, Men's Health, Men's Journal, Roads & Kingdoms, Robb Report, SevenFifty Daily, Thrillist, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Vice, VinePair, Whisky Advocate, Wine Enthusiast and a wide range of additional publications.

In addition to writing about luxury travel and adventure, Emen specializes in whiskey and cocktails. There's no destination too far-flung or street food too spicy for his tastes, and he's traveled full-time without a home base for more than five years. His writing has been nominated for awards from organizations such as the International Association of Culinary Professionals and Tales of the Cocktail.

Emen has notched every continent and has toured more than 150 distilleries across 35 countries, but otherwise doesn't know how many countries he's visited. He'll tally it up one day. He judges for several major international spirits and cocktail competitions, once won a Delta Milestone Award for spending entirely too much time in airplanes, and enjoys receiving painful traditional tattoos. Follow his latest adventures @ManTalkFood.

All Articles From Jake Emen
A communal interior space at a Firmdale hotel in New York City, showcasing curated, vibrant art and design details.

“A Room Should Satisfy All the Senses”: The NYC Hotels Raising the Design Bar

At Firmdale's three boutique hotels across the city, co-founder and creative director Kit Kemp is focused on the “human touches”

A passenger looking out at planes parked on the tarmac through an airport window.

Which Airline Rewards Program Is Right for You?

The world of frequent-flyer points is convoluted. We’ll help you get the most out of your flights.

Two interior spaces at Populus Denver stitched together, showcasing different sustainable design elements within the hotel.

A Groundbreaking Green Hotel

Want to travel more sustainably? Start at Populus Denver, where the mission is as impressive as the rooms and restaurants.

X-ray image of a duffel bag showing multiple prohibited items inside, including liquids and other flagged objects, highlighted during airport security screening.

I’ve Seen Stun Guns Go Through TSA. So Why’s My Toothpaste So Dangerous?

There's often little rhyme or reason behind TSA's policies, and it can be maddening

Costa Navarino is the Peloponnese at its finest.

Skip the Greek Isles and Go Here Instead

Costa Navarino, in the Messinia region of the Peloponnese, offers some of the best food in Greece, along with the vacation vibes to match

Because what do you mean ice is extra?

Why Are So Many Luxury Hotels Nickel-and-Diming Their Guests?

The art of hospitality is lost at “five-star” hotels with maximum profit-extraction strategies

The places set to shape the next wave of travel

Two Years From Trending: Travel Destinations Ready to Break Out

2028's must-travel list is going to look a lot like this

Go for the mountains, stay for the fondue

Put Banff on Your Year-Round Travel List as a Gourmet Getaway

Banff has natural beauty galore with world-class hiking and skiing, but it's also now home to a vibrant food and drink scene that shouldn't be overlooked

Once written off as gimmicky, cruise cocktails are getting a serious glow-up, thanks to better ingredients and a focus on proper technique.

Can Cruise Cocktails Be Cool Again?

Cruises are overhauling and upgrading their food and beverage offerings, but is it even possible for cruise ships to have legit cocktail programs?

A small handful of hotel amenities have gone fully ubiquitous.

The Amenities Trends Taking Over the Hotel World

Kohler smart toilets and the omnipresent white bubble plates among amenities that you probably recognize even if you don't know you do

food and wine on the beach

The Best, Most Unexpected Food-First Beach Stays in Mexico

Welcome to the country's most gourmet, luxury beachfront hotels

The Patagonian landscape, defined by glacial lakes, towering peaks and vast steppe, stretches across southern Chile and Argentina.

Patagonia’s Stunning Beauty Delivers One of the World’s Best Adventures

Pack the hiking books and layers — and leave the Wi-Fi and cellphone behind

A vast, otherworldly expanse of blindingly white salt crust, Salar de Uyuni sits at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level and was formed by the evaporation of ancient lakes.

Bolivia’s Uyuni Salt Flat Offers One of the World’s Most Epic and Surreal Adventures

Take a Travesía from the Atacama Desert to Uyuni in Bolivia for an otherworldly and inimitable getaway

The Drinking Culture of Singapore

The Drinking Culture of Singapore

The nation state is now 60 years strong and offers one of the world's best bar scenes

All glory to hotel-bed breakfast

The 24-Hour Hotel Breakfast Is a Beautiful Thing

Ode to the on-demand, whenever-you-want 24/7 hotel breakfast

a glass of champagne on a table next to a plush chair overlooking a city skyline

Are Hotel Club Levels Cool Again?

How modern properties are doing this luxury amenity the right way